Flo Dena Waldrip

FLO DENA WALDRIP 85 OF KINGSTON DIED ON AUGUST 6, 2003 AT HER HOME AFTER A LENGTHY ILLNESS. THIS BELOVED WIFE, MOTHER, SISTER, AND FRIEND HAD BEEN A DEDICATED MEMBER OF THE KINGSTON CHURCH OF CHRIST SINCE MOVING TO KINGSTON WITH HER HUSBAND BYRON IN 1996. DENA WALDRIP WAS BORN AT UNION HILL, ARKANSAS, MAY 26, 1918, THE DAUGHTER OF JOE AND BEULAH POLLARD. SHE LIVED WITH SEVEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS ON THE FAMILY FARM UNTIL GRADUATING FROM BRADFORD HIGH SCHOOL. SHE ATTENDED CONWAY TEACHER’S COLLEGE IN CONWAY, ARKANSAS AND CHILLICOTHE BUSINESS SCHOOL IN CHILLICOTHE, MISSOURI. SHE WAS EMPLOYED AS A SCHOOLTEACHER IN THE UNION HILL COMMUNITY, AS A BOOKKEEPER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND AS A SECRETARY IN NEWPORT, ARKANSAS. SHE MET THE LOVE OF HER LIFE IN THE FALL OF 1939 AND MARRIED HIM ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1940. DURING HER HUSBAND’S CAREER WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SHE MADE HOMES IN COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI; SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA; LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY; PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; TULSA, OKLAHOMA; AND NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. SHE EASILY MADE FRIENDS IN EACH OF THESE LOCATIONS, BECAUSE TRULY, SHE NEVER MET A STRANGER. DENA LIVED HER LIFE TO THE FULLEST AS A COUNTRY GIRL, RODEO QUEEN, WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT GRANDMOTHER, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, AS A CHRISTIAN. HER LOVE OF GOD WAS MOST EVIDENT IN HER SELFLESS LOVE FOR HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND HER KINDNESS TO STRANGERS. HER LIFE LONG LOVE OF FLOWERS AND HER ENJOYMENT THROUGH TRAVEL OF GOD’S CREATION WERE HALLMARKS OF HER LIFE. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, JOSEPH FRANKLIN POLLARD AND BEULAH ANN POLLARD (SCANTLIN); BROTHER, COMMIE C. POLLARD; AND SISTER, RUBY MITCHELL (POLLARD). SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER HUSBAND OF 62 YEARS, BYRON THOMAS WALDRIP; TWO SONS, BYRON THOMAS WALDRIP, JR. OF BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA, AND WILLIAM GARY WALDRIP AND WIFE SANDRA GAIL WALDRIP OF KINGSTON, TENNESSEE; DAUGHTER, DEANNA KAREN WILLIAMS AND HUSBAND JOE EDWARD WILLIAMS OF BROKEN ARROW, OKLAHOMA; THREE BROTHERS, JAMES EVON POLLARD OF NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ODELL POLLARD OF SEARCY, ARKANSAS, AND DR. ARLEE POLLARD OF LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS; TWO SISTERS, BLANCHE FAITH CLANCY OF SEARCY, ARKANSAS AND BERTHA MILLER OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS, SIX GRANDCHILDREN, DEANNA LYNN WILLIAMS OF PLANO, TEXAS, PAMELA JEAN WILLIAMS OF FRISCO, TEXAS, JOHN MICHAEL WALDRIP AND BONNIE JEAN CARTER OF BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA, AND GRAHAM THOMAS WALDRIP AND SARAH MORGANNE WALDRIP OF KINGSTON, TENNESSEE; TWO GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, MIRANDA PAIGE WALDRIP AND JOY ANNA WALDRIP OF BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA. A MEMORIAL SERVICE IN CELEBRATION OF DENA’S LIFE WILL BE HELD AT THE KYKER FUNERAL HOME IN KINGSTON, TENNESSEE ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 AT 8:00PM. THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS FROM 6 UNTIL 8PM AT THE FUNERAL HOME PRIOR TO THE MEMORIAL SERVICE. THE FAMILY REQUESTS THAT DONATIONS, IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, BE MADE TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY OR TO THE KINGSTON CHURCH OF CHRIST. THE FAMILY WISHES TO EXPRESS THEIR APPRECIATION TO THE KINGSTON CHURCH OF CHRIST FOR ALL OF THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT DURING THIS TIME OF NEED.

Flo Dena Waldrip

May 26, 1918 - August 6, 2003